Jonathan Takiff: Season's gadgets

BABE MAGNET: We're hearing buzz about digital cameras going "bye-bye" (the newly discontinued Flip camcorder line being a sore case in point) because people are content taking digital stills and video with . Yet a dedicated digi-camera with the right features set still deserves attention.

Take, please, the Samsung DualView ultracompact series, boasting a second LCD screen on the front that displays whatever is being captured by the lens. In effect, that second screen serves as a mirror for the subject - great for attracting a baby's attention. A front screen's also good for getting a glum teen or grown-up to perk up, after noting, "Eew, I look awful!" Or to help the shooter get properly framed in an arms-length self-portrait.

The latest Samsung ST700 Dual View ($199 after savings at Best Buy) also boasts a super-high-resolution 16 megapixel image-capturing chip, five-power optical zoom (far better than the digital zooms in phones), image stabilization, special effects and intuitive touch-screen control.

THE "NO-BRAINER" BACKUP: For all those who do use an iPhone (3G, 3Gs, 4) or current (fifth) generation iPod touch as their preferred digital shooter, there's a handy-dandy item to back up your images and contact list. It's the Iomega SuperHero Backup & Charger ($69.99 at Target and www.iomega.com). Download the free Iomega SuperHero app to the Apple. Whenever you dock the product in the spiffy Iomega base, your contacts and still photos (not videos) are automatically saved to a 4GB SD card while the device recharges.

Of course, these same (and more) backup burdens can be achieved by connecting to a computer. But Iomega's solution requires zero thought or effort.

KINDLE WITH BENEFITS: What's the difference between a conventional Kindle eReader tablet with Wi-Fi and the new Kindle with Special Offers? The latter costs $25 less (a mere $114) but is "ad-supported." Instead of delivering an opening screen image of a famous author, you might see a monochrome advertisement for a new car, bank card or skin cream.

Get Your Tots to Flash a Grin with Samsung’s New Camera Animations

It’s not always easy to get kids to flash a smile or pay attention to the camera, especially when you’re all huddled together flashing wacky faces or flaunting formal poses waiting for the flash to go off. The photographer begins the inevitable countdown: “3, 2, 1…”
And it is that exact moment that Junior decides he wants to pull your hair or scream for ice cream or look the other way as the picture gets snapped.
 
Read more : http://technabob.com/blog/2011/05/30/samsung-camera-animation/

Samsung ST700 – Modify Movies for Your Children!

Samsung has developed a creative solution to avoid those distracted children’s photos this summer. For all those parents who return from a trip with photos of their youngsters looking the other way, Samsung has developed a range of animation features which are available on its unique 2View compact cameras.

“Children Mode” is one of the most beloved functions among the 2View camera users. It is especially beloved by the users with children who know that Children Mode” is successful in getting their child’s attention while taking pictures.

We are certain that your children will fall in love with “Pororo”, the little penguin wearing orange-rimmed goggles, when they see the Pororo animation on the ST700’s front LCD. Do you think you need more various animations? Do you want to make your own film, which will appear on front LCD while using Children Mode? The ST700 makes it possible!
● Download animations by using Intelli-studio.

1. After inserting an external microSD card into the camera, connect it to the PC.

2. Turn it on and then run the “Intelli-studio” program.

3. The ‘Download Animation’ message box will appear. Click on the “Yes” button.

4. You can find thumbnail images for animations you wish to download.
* If you place the mouse cursor over the thumbnail image, you can preview the animation’s contents.

5. Click on the desired animation and it will be saved automatically.

● Download animations from the Samsung homepage

1. You can find eight kinds of animation files that are possible to download from the Samsung homepage.

* To download the animations, simply click the images below.

* To download the animations from homepage, please click here.

2. Download and save animation files on the root “MISC” folder of the microSD memory.(You can create the “MISC” folder by yourself or it can be created automatically after turning it on. External microSD card needed.)

3. Animation files are limited up to 8. (Nine each including the internal default one each.)

To see how Children Mode works, click here.

Do you want to make your own animations for Children mode? It is possible with the ST700! Your children will love seeing their parents with the camera that makes them smile. Simply film a short movie with the front LCD size (200X176), then save the movie as ‘front animation.’ If you want to download your video file on Children Mode, convert the file to a F.LCD-sized file format using Intelli- studio.

● Set your own movie on Children Mode.

1. Select the “Movie” icon on your camera’s home screen.

2. Menu button – Movie Size – Front LCD size (220X176).

3. Record the movie you want. It only records up to 30 seconds.

4. After filming it, select the “Children” icon on your camera’s home screen.

5. Menu – Select Front Animation – Movie

6. Select the movie you have taken.

7. The movie will appear on the front LCD automatically.

* After the update is complete, the animation files will be automatically deleted from the memory card, depending on your camera’s firmware. In the future, if you wish to update the animation again, you should ensure that all old animation files have been deleted from the memory card. You can update your camera’s firmware to ensure that all animation files are deleted automatically.

* Ensure that the battery is fully charged before the update.

* Do not attempt to remove the battery or turn off the camera during the update.

“We are very proud of the animations available to our customers, as they add to the sense of fun that is a big part of the 2View photography experience, putting artistic capabilities in the hands of our customers,” Mr. SS Park, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics, commented. “The accessibility of the animations for users was a priority for Samsung that is why we’ve ensured they’re easily downloadable from our website, to provide a truly connected service to every customer. The animations are designed to be as engaging as possible for children and, combined with the high image quality, they add up to a premium compact camera package that allows our customers to capture special moments with their families.”

ST700 2View New Samsung Digital Camera

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PL120 Dual LCD Digital Camera from Samsung

After the Carnival in Brazil

Posted by Renato Costa on Mar 17, 2010 •

Samsung Digital Imaging has provided the author of this article with the mentioned digital imaging device.

[Samsung ST550 1/180s ㅣf/9.5 ㅣISO 80ㅣ5.3mm]

Generally, the Carnival (Carnaval) holiday in Brazil is a time for a free fantasy. Many people moving across the country to take rest or to play carnival in places where there are parades and crowds of people, as Salvador, Recife and Rio de Janeiro. Here in São Paulo the city become empty, despite that we have a carnival parade.

I decide to take a rest here and start using my new Samsung Compact Camera ST550, and the pictures needed to show the work of São Paulo’s carnival after parade.

[Samsung ST550 1/350s ㅣf/4.4 ㅣISO 80ㅣ13.7mm]

Why?  Because everyone thinks just about the parade and don’t realize what happens after it!

[Samsung ST550 1/500s ㅣf/4.7 ㅣISO 80ㅣ8.3mm]

The schools of samba keep all cars with allegory in one place until the result of the carnival competition is announced on the Tuesday afternoon carnival in São Paulo. There is a kind of ceremony where long lines are armed in sambódromo site. Tents are armed position where the representatives of each school, which will annotate the notes as they are being disseminated, making the calculations. The chairman of the league makes the final considerations about the carnival that year, reads the possible loss of points given to each school, and then start reading the notes.

[Samsung ST550 1/180s ㅣf/5.4 ㅣISO 80ㅣ18.7mm]

After the result of this competition is announced the best schools of samba parade again in Sambódromo, at the end of the week following the carnival. This parade has no competitive character, it is only a kind of festival to crown the year’s best schools, where the parade foliões can more carefree with questions.

[Samsung ST550 1/180s ㅣf/9.1 ㅣISO 80ㅣ4.9mm]

To provide a parade is necessary at least 10 months working that is shown in just 80 minutes and after this all work done become obsolete, without use.

[Samsung ST550 1/250s ㅣf/5.5 ㅣISO 80ㅣ10.4mm]

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung ST550(TL225), which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here

Read more: http://www.samsungimaging.net/st550-after-the-carnival-in-brazil/#ixzz0igJxMDrY

What a pleasant review ST550(TL225) got on CNET!